Clothes-line reel and tightener.



M. KNEISLEY. CLOTHES LINE REEL AND TIGHTENER.

APPLIUATIQH FILED APR. '1, 1908. RENEWED APR. 3', H909.

939,033. Patented No v. 2, 1909.

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-. .niIssEL'LM-KNEIsLnY, or statesm n, airssonit Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 7, 1908, Serial No. 425,772. Renewed April 3,

Patented o 2;

1909. Serial,No.487,771.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELL M. KNnisLaY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carrollton, in the county of Carroll and State of Missouri, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Clothes-Line Reels and 'lighteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved device for reeling and unreeling a clothes line or other .rope and for also raising and lowering the same when said line is stretched, as when clothes are hung thereon, to enable the stretched line with its load to be raised or lowered as may be required, and the said invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter'described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of an improved reel and line tightener constructed in accordance with my invention. showing the same attached to a post and in use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved reel and line tightener on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a suitable frame or base 1 which is here shown as comprising sides 2 and connecting cross bars or end portions 3 and a which are respectively provided with a series of screw or nail receiving openings 5, a screw receiving notch 6, thus facilitating the, application of said base or frame to a post, tree, fence, 1

wall or other suitable supporting object by means of suitable screws such as shown at 7 or other suitable devices.

The sides of the frame or base are formed with hearing openings for the shafts 8, 9 of a pair of drums 10, 11 respectively and also with bearing openings for the spindles or journals of a roller 12 which roller is disposed above the drum 11, the latter being above the drum 10. The drum 10 is provided at one end with a head 13 which has peripheral ratchet teeth 14. The drum 11 hasa similar head at one end provided with peripheral ratchet teeth 15 which extend in 'the same direction as those of the drum 10. The said ratchet heads of the drums are respectively normally engaged by gravity acting pawls 16, 17 which are plvotally connected-to one of the sides 2 of the frame or base. Each of the drum shafts is polygo nal cross sectionally at one end to enable it to be engaged by a crank handle 18 which may be readily shipped or unshippedso that said crank handle may be employed to rotate either of the drums.

At a suitable height above the reel and line 'tightener device is a suitable guide, which for the purposes of this specification. as here shown, has a ring 18 secured by a staple 19 to the post or support 20. It is obvious that any suitable guiding device may be employed in lieu of the ring said guiding device 18, has its lower end attached to the drum 10 and is provided at its upper end with a sheave or block 22. The clothes line or other line, indicated at 23 passes over said sheave or block and is attached to'the drum 11.

In the operation of my improved reel or' line tightener, the line 23 is initially brought to nearly the requisite tension by means of the drum 11 which as before indicated may be turned by the crank handle 18. Having suspended the clothes or other articles from the said line 23, the latter is then raised to the required height by turning the drum 10. thus causing the raising and lowering cord 21 and the block or sheave "22 to coact to raise one end of the line 23 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The roller 12 serves as a guide for the line 23.

'65 18. A raising or lowermg cord or rope 21 passes over or through I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of devices herein shown and described, as it is evident that modificationsmay be made therein within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In. combination with a device compris ing a base frame, a. clothes line drum mount ed in said base frame, means to prevent said drum from rotating in one direction, a hoisting rope drum also mounted in said frame, means to prevent such last mentioned drum from rotating in one direction, and a crank handle whereby to turn either of said drums at will, a. clothes line attached to the clothes line drum, a guide element mounted above said device, and a hoisting rope guided by said element, having one end attached to the hoisting rope drum and provided at the opposite end with a block, said block being en,- gaged by said clothes line for the purpose j 110 set forth.

In combination with a pair ofindependently operable drums and means for ro- (tilting the Same, a guide element, a hoisting Iil testimony whereof Iiaflix my sigfiature rope guided (lby saxd guide flenfietixlthaving in presence-oftwo witnesses. an en a 'n evice at one en an avin its f 0p os it attached to one (if said dr ms, RUSSELL 5- alme having slidable engagement. with said Witnesses: engaging device and having one end engaged H. R. KNEIS EY, V

with the other drum. WM. G. BU'sIiY. 

